Rotary reaction nozzle fuel burner



March 18, 1952 w. D. BAILEY, JR 7 ROTARY REACTION NOZZLE FUEL BURNER Filed Feb. 7, 1947 FI.E l Fl E E FIE IEI FIE 4 I N VEN TOR. I ////'dm d id/XsgI/A" Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to means for burning combustible material and particularly mixtures of a liquid fuel and air or coal dust and air and is concerned with a structure for improving the general combustion process.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple, compact structure for increasing the efficiency of combustion and producing a combustion releasing a large amount of heat at a high rate.

An additional object of the invention is to pro vide a structure which is mechanically simple but is effective to burn fuel with little or no loss or waste.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fuel burner which is capable of installation in substantially customary or standard environ ments.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a fuel burner in which, at least after initial operation, the fuel itself produces some at least of the power necessary for accelerating combustion and pumping of fuel and air.

An additional object of the invention is to provide means for burning fuel in a confined space, such as a furnace or a boiler, and in which the parts of the furnace or the boiler tubes are subjected to the combustion stresses only intermittently so as to prolong the furnace or boiler life.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the embodiments of the invention llustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following description. In the draw: ings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic disclosure of one form of fuel burner in accordance with my invention. The figure for the most part being a cross-section on a longitudinal, vertical plane.

Figure 2 is a partial cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a modified or additional form of the invention, certain portions being omitted and broken away to reduce the size of the figure.

Figure 4: is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line i-4 of Figure Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of Figure 3, parts being broken away on horizontal planes, showing the pump construction.

In its preferred embodiments the fuel burner of my invention is utilized in connection with a circular-cylindrical combustion chamber having an axial discharge opening therein and into which projects a coaxial combustion pipe. The combustion pipe is mounted forrotation on its axis and is formed with a radial portion and a tangential discharge nozzle on the radial portion. Means are provided for supplying combustible material, for example liquid fuel, preferably atomized, and air under slight pressure, to the interior of the combustion pipe. Further, means are provided for igniting the combustible material within the combustion pipe so that the products of combustion travel through at least a portion of the pipe, and issue forcibly from the discharge nozzle in a tangential direction toward the interior of the circular-cylindrical combustion chamber. The discharge reaction is sufficient so that the freely rotatable combustion pipe is rapidly revolved. This results in the products of combustion impinging upon different parts of the combustion chamber at different times, and results in a large and favorable amount of turbulence in the issuing products of combustion which serves to aiford an intimate and advantageous mixture of the combustion material so that in general the efiiciency is greatly improved.

In the particular form of the fuel burner shown in Figures 1 and 2, there is provided a combustion chamber 6 having a generally circular-cylindrical portion 4 symmetrical about a longitudinal axis 8 and having a reduced hemispherical portion 9 leading to a coaxial discharge opening H. The combustion chamber 6 is fabricated of any suitable material, such as a heat-resistant metal or of refractory substance, or may be formed by coils of tubing of suitable shape to provide a boiler. It is stationary with respect to a base IE or foundation.

An air pump is driven by a motor I? is directly supported on the foundation [3 and the blower is connected by an air duct [8 to a housing l8 adjacent the chamber 9. The housing serves as a mounting for a bearing 2| coaxial with the axis 8 and designed to support and aiford free rotation to a combustion pipe 22 having a portion 23 coaxial with the axis 8. The combustion pipe is preferably fabricated of a heat-resistant material, for example stainless steel or Nichrome, and is formed so that the coaxial portion 23 merges gradually with a radial portion 24 extending near the boundary of the combustion chamber '5 and ending in a discharge nozzle .26 approximately tangential withrespect to the axis 8.

Within the housing 59 is a sleeve 2'! coaxially situated and spaced slightly from the wall of the housing to admit of air flow thereinto. The sleeve extends into the interior of the combustion pipe 22. When the motor H is energized, atmospheric air is forced by the pump It through the pipe 13 into the chamber 19 wherein it passes in part through the sleeve 21 and there is intermingled with preferably atomized fuel, for example oil, introduced through a coaxial nozzle 28 supplied by a fuel pipe 29. There is consequently provided within the sleeve 21 a supply of combustible material.

In accordance with the invention, this combustible material is ignited within the sleeve 21 by means of any suitable ignition device 3|, for example an electrical spark plug, mounted in the casing [9. Upon ignition, flame and other products of combustion continue to flow. After passing through the axial and radial portions of the pipe, the flames and other hot gases discharge from the nozzle'26. The velocity of issuance and the mass of such gases are such as to produce a substantial reactive force exerted tangentially upon the combustion pipe 22. Since the pipe is mounted for free rotation, the result is to produce a very rapid spinning in the direction of the arrow 32. This rotation produces an active turbulence not only within the combustion pipe 22 wherein the combustion is proceeding, but likewise outside such pipe and within the combustion chamber 6 so that the efliciency of combustion is augmented.

If one or more stationary jets discharge products of combustion against the surrounding walls, the resulting localized overheating is detrimental. But with the rotating nozzle 25, the hot gases issuing therefrom in a tangential direction play only momentarily upon any one portion of the surrounding combustion chamber wall and play uniformly on all portions of the wall. The wall portions therefore absorb, reflect or dissipate the heat without themselves burning. The wall temperature is more nearly uniform and the life of the wall material is prolonged. Also, the hot gases issuing from the nozzle 26 in a tangential direction play momentarily only upon the immediately adjacent portion of the surrounding combustion chamber wall thereby permitting the other portions of the wall to absorb, reflect or dissipate heat without burning it. The combustion chamber wall temperature is consequently more uniform and the life of the material is prolonged.

In starting the described burner, the motor I? can be operated at an augmented rate to produce an initial reactive rotation of the combustion pipe due primarily to air discharge therefrom. When combustion occurs and the expanded gases accelerate the rotation of the combustion pipe, then the operation of the motor H can be diminished and it is possible for the operation of the motor to be substantially or entirely dispensed with after combustion is well under way.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4, a pump and motor structure and a support very much like that shown in the other figures is employed. Also, the combustion chamber is virtually unchanged. There is provided a housing 4! having a mounting bearing 42 therein for rotaiably supporting a combustion pipe Q3 about an axis 44. This combustion pipe has a coaxial portion 46 and a radial portion 4! terminat ing in a discharge nozzle 48. Additionally, there is provided a fuel pipe 4-9 disposed coaxially with in the combustion pipe as. A swivel mechanism joins the pipe 49 to a supply pipe 52 so that the pipe 49 can rotate with the combustion pipe 43. If desired, the swivel mechanism 5! can in corporate or constitute a fuel pump entirely or partially driven by the relative rotation of the pipes 49 and 52 as the pipe 53 rotates. By varying the retarding or braking load imposed by such a fuel pump, the rotational speed of the pipe 43 can correspondingly be varied. The meshing gears 58 and 59' of the fuel pump, driven by the rotation of the pipe 49 relative to the housing 4 I, serve to draw in fuel from the pipe 52 through an inlet passage GI and discharge it through a passage 62 and through an aperture 63 into the pipe 49.

The pipe 49 is formed with a radial portion 53 leading to a fuel nozzle 54 terminating with the combustion pipe. An auxiliary air funnel 58 is formed in connection with the combustion pipe and terminates adjacent the end of the nozzle 54. With the other portions of the combustion pipe 43 there is provided in effect a Venturi air duct with the fuel nozzle situated at an advantageous point for fuel induction into the passing air stream. An effect of the Venturi structure is to mix burning gases with the fresh fuel and air flowing into the combustion chamber. Another effect of the Venturi structure is to assist in pumping the fresh fuel and air to lighten or eliminate the work of the motor H.

In this form of the invention an ignition device like the one shown in Figure 1 can be employed, but instead I preferably provide in this instance an ignition device 5'! in the wall of the combustion chamber.

In the initial operation of this structure, when the mechanism is supplied with air under pressure from the blower and fuel is forced in through the pipe 49, a combustible mixture relatively rich in fuel issues tangentially from the discharge nozzle 48. The discharge nozzle 48 normally occupies the relative position shown in Figure 4 when it is stationary. The relatively rich combustible mixture is ignited as it impinges upon the spark plug appropriately set for this starting operation. The rate of propagation of flame is such that once ignition has been effectuated, the combustion proceeds back into the combustion tube. The force of efflux of the products of combustion is such as to cause the entire combustion pipe to rotate in the direction of the arrow 58, thus distributing the issuing flame to various parts of the combustion chamber in succession and also inducing the influx of extra. combustion air into the burner around the funnel 56. A heatresistant, gas-proof seal 59 is preferably installed around the pipe 43.

After initial ignition and especially after the structure has gotten up to operating speed, the services of the spark plugs 3| and 51 can be dispensed with and some or all of the power to the motor I! can be cut off. In this instance as well as with the previously described embodiment, the combustion is augmented and takes place with considerable efficiency and the life of the structure is prolonged. In both instances the mechanism is quite simple and capable of installation in the normal environments to produce a consider-ably improved result.

I claim:

1. A rotary reaction nozzle fuel burner comprising a drum-like combustion chamber having a central cylindrical portion and axial inlet and discharge openings in the ends, a stationary mounting outside said chamber, a combustion pipe extending axially though said inlet opening. a bearing for rotatably securing one end of said combustion pipe in said mounting, an extension on the other end of said combustion pipe having a tangential opening adjacent said central cylindrical portion of said combustion chamber, conduits for supplying said combustion pipe with combustible material, and an igniter for igniting said material to provide combustion products is suing into said combustion chamber from said tangential opening to rotate said combustion pipe by reaction and to discharge through said discharge opening.

2. A rotary reaction nozzle fuel burner comprising a combustion chamber having inlet and outlet openings on a central axis, a stationary mounting outside said combustion chamber, a combustion pipe having one portion rotatably mounted in said mounting outside said combustion chamber and extending through said inlet opening into said chamber along said axis and another portion extending radially from said axis, a tangential nozzle on said radial portion, a. bearing for mounting said pipe for rotation about said axis, a conduit for supplying said pipe with air, a conduit for supplying said pipe with fuel to mix with said air, and an igniter for igniting said air and said fuel in said pipe to produce products of combustion issuing from said nozzle into said combustion chamber for further combustion within said combustion chamber with sufficient reactive force to rotate said combustion pipe.

3. A rotary reaction nozzle fuel burner comprising a combustion chamber having a cylindrical portion and axial inlet and discharge openings, a combustion pipe extending through said inlet opening coaxially into said combustion chamber, a bearing outside said combustion chamber for mounting said combustion pipe for rotation, a tangential nozzle on said combustion pipe within said chamber adjacent said cylindrical portion, conduits for supplying said combustion pipe with combustible material, and an igniter for igniting said combustible material within said combustion pipe for combustion and discharge through said chamber and said discharge opening.

4. A rotary reaction nozzle fuel burner comprising a combustion pipe having an elongated axial portion, a radial portion, and a tangential nozzle; a bearing engaging said axial portion and mounting said combustion pipe for free rotation about an axis; conduits for supplying said combustion pipe with combustible material; an igniter for igniting said combustible material within said combustion pipe with the products of combustion issuing from said nozzle to produce reactive rotation of said combustion pipe; and a combustion chamber substantially encompassing said combustion pipe and substantially closed except for an inlet opening around said axial portion of said pipe between said bearing and said radial portion and except for an axial discharge opening beyond said radial portion of said pipe.

WILLIAM D. BAILEY, JR.v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 523,734 Shaw July 31, 1894 1,152,045 Reeves Aug. 31, 1915 2,048,847 Desmet July 28, 1936 2,130,471 Powers Sept. 20 1938 2,220,066 Cornell, Jr. Nov. 5, 1940 2,330,056 Howard Sept. 21, 1943 2,414,830 McCollum Jan. 28, 1947 

